Back-to-back: Bowen Mauss wins second straight Utah State Am
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- 19-year-old Bowen Mauss lifts the Utah State Am trophy as a repeat winner in Midway on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Brian E. Preece, Special to the Herald)
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- Lehi resident Cameron Crawford (right) receives the silver medal as the runner-up of the 128th Utah State Amateur in Midway on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
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- Lehi resident Cameron Crawford executes a chip during Saturday’s championship match of the Utah State Am against Bowen Mauss in Midway on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
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- Golfers Cameron Crawford (left) and Bowen Mauss (center) along with their caddies shake hands after Crawford concedes the championship match in the Utah State Am in Midway on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Former Corner Canyon standout and current Arizona State golfer Bowen Mauss repeated as champion at the 128th Utah State Amateur played at Soldier Hollow in Midway.
The championship final on Saturday didn’t have the drama of the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of Friday where Mauss himself had to go to extra holes to advance in his quarterfinal match. Instead, Mauss dominated from start to finish in the 36-hole championship match winning 9 and 7 over Lehi resident Cameron Crawford.
“I hit it pretty good the past three or four days,” Mauss said. “I had some putts that didn’t drop but I can’t complain about the way I played.”
And the last hole played punctuated that fact when Mauss nearly jarred his second shot where it hit just past the pin by a foot and then spun back around three feet away. Mauss didn’t need to even putt. As Mauss was 8-up, Crawford had to win the hole outright to extend the match. His second shot landed about 50 feet away from the pin and when he missed his birdie putt, Crawford conceded Mauss’ putt and the match.
“I hit a 54 degree (wedge),” said Mauss of his brilliant second shot after striping another 300 yard plus drive down the fairway to set things up.
Not only did Mauss claim a second State Am title, he earned an automatic bid to the U.S. Amateur to be played next month at the famed Merion Golf Club in Ardmore. Pennsylvania along with a sponsor’s invite to the Bank of Utah PGA event in October held at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins.
Mauss’ repeat championship performance was just another example of how this tournament in recent years has really become a youth movement. Mauss is just 19 years-old and could become the first player to win three straight in over 90 years. Beyond that, seven of the eight quarterfinalists were college-aged golfers, either in their early 20s or late teens in Mauss’ case.
But Crawford did give some of the older players hope they could compete with these young stars the Beehive State keeps producing. Crawford was literally twice the age of Mauss at age 38. Crawford was a former college golfer playing at Utah Tech when it was called Dixie College. But unlike Mauss who plays fulltime and has plenty of time to hone his skills, Crawford owns his own business Mountain West Fence & Deck Supply.
“I don’t practice but I try to play wherever the weekend tournament is,” said Crawford. “Luckily, I have a good team that cheers me on and keeps the company going.”
Though the championship final didn’t go Crawford’s way, he still felt that his runner-up finish was his top achievement in golf.
“I made match play in the U.S. Mid-Am last year in October which at the time was the best accomplishment that I’ve had,” said Crawford. “I would have to sit back and actually think about it but this probably has to top it for sure.”
Crawford played the most holes of any of the 288 players in the field and actually beat Mauss’ older brother Jackson in a 23-hole marathon quarterfinal match. Then Crawford had to go the full 18 holes to get past former Timpanogos star and current Utah State player Noah Moody in the semifinals. So all total, he played 41 holes on Friday. But he wasn’t going to let either his age or how many holes he had to play Friday be an excuse for coming up short.
“I was trying to just get some rest and thanks to my amazing girlfriend who’s a chiropractor who was giving me adjustments every day. Just trying to do what I could do,” added Crawford who said he’s been fighting some back issues since he was 30.
The result Saturday was a result of Mauss coming out hot with two birdies on hole three and four and dropping an eagle putt on the seventh. He then upped his lead to 6-up after the first nine holes. Meanwhile, Crawford struggled a bit with his distant control.
“I hit a lot of good shots that didn’t turn out the way I thought,” said Crawford. “I misjudged some distances. Bowen was definitely the better player today. It’s just how it goes sometimes.”
Tournament Notes: According to the Utah Golf Association (UGA), over 900 golfers tried to qualify for the State Am this season. … BYU’s Whitney Banz became the only woman to qualify for the State Am this year and just the fifth all-time. Banz didn’t make the cut to play in match play. … Jraice Finau, the son of PGA professional golfer and Lehi resident Tony Finau, was the youngest qualifier at age 14. Paul Cannon at age 69 was the oldest. Neither Finau nor Cannon made the cut but both showed the vast age differences that can exist in this competition. … The Utah State Amateur was first played in 1899 and UGA officials wore hats to note that fact on championship Saturday. The tournament was actually held during both World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic year making it the longest continual tournament in the history of golf.
